Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Spring Sewing with Fabricista Diane

Image
By

I'm so happy to be back this month on the Fabric Mart blog with my first spring projects, simple and lightweight black pants and a flowy and sophisticated print top.



Inspiration for sewing comes from everywhere and I'm thrilled (like everyone else) that I no longer have to organize stacks of torn out pages from catalogs and magazines but now can save anything that inspires me to my "I Wanna Make This" board on Pinterest, no papers, no mess.  And this outfit today is inspired by one of those pins.


The top is McCall's 7093, a brand new tunic pattern with different color block variations.  I made View A (without the slits) in this geometric viscose print from Fabric Mart.


The top is a quick and easy sew and the only changes I made were omitting the slits in the front, taking in the sides 1/2", and adding black bias trim to the neck.  I used the wrong side of a black silk charmeuse I had in my stash.  It can be tricky to get bias trim to be even and I've found that if I ditch the pattern piece and make a free cut, I can have even binding. Here's how I do it:
  1. Cut strips of bias at least 1" longer and 1" wider than the neckline pattern piece.
  2. Fold fabric in half lengthwise and press.
  3. Using a ruler and rotary cutter.  Cut the folded bias strip down to the desired width (see photo).
  4. Cut bias same length as the pattern piece and add markings.

Yay!  Even bias strips = Even neckline trim.

I'm sure I will end up making this McCall's pattern over and over.  I always want to wear leggings but never have the right top to go over them.  Finally, I found the perfect blouse for leggings... longer in the back and shorter in the front.
























The pants are from one of my "Tried and True" (TNT) patterns, Simplicity 1696.  Now, of all of my TNT pattern types, a pant pattern is most cherished.  A good fitting pair of pants is really hard to come by.


I've made these pants many times before, all with different variations, and this time I used this lightweight cotton twill from Fabric Mart , deleted the slash pocket and added 4" to the length.  I ended up with a classic pair of pants that fill a gaping hole in my wardrobe. 


Spring has sprung and I couldn't be happier.  What's your first spring project?

And here's a gratuitous dog picture....he's my photography assistant!
Have a great day!  Diane - Gatorbunnysews

Comments

  1. joenMarch 18, 2015 at 3:25 PM

    Your outfit turned out great! The long in the back shorter in the front top looks great and you are right the perfect top for leggings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diane at BlueDotPatternsMarch 27, 2015 at 4:51 PM

      Thank you so much! I've worn this already. I tucked it in to a straight skirt and it looked great too. So versatile.

      Delete
  2. UnknownMarch 19, 2015 at 10:26 AM

    I wanna make this. Today.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Annie LoudenMarch 19, 2015 at 12:46 PM

    That IS the perfect top for leggings! I'm going to get the pattern.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Office Attire to Remember

By
Hello everyone! I’m very excited to contribute to Fabricista blog once more! I made another brand new cosplay: Reiko Kujirai from Kowloon Generic Romance! Kowloon Generic Romance is a sci-fi, romance & mystery manga series. It was later adapted to a TV anime and live action film! This series takes place in Kowloon Walled City. It’s about a woman named Reiko Kujirai who suffers from memory loss and doesn't remember her past. She works at a realty estate management company with her co-worker Hajime Kudou, a very easy going and brash man who’s also her crush! Reiko lives her life in Kowloon, while also trying to discover who she is, and the mysteries of this city (I will not spoil everything! You’re going to have to check it out for yourself!). I binged the anime in one day and really enjoyed it. The story and the characters are very intriguing. I love that the main characters are in their 30s, which is very rare in anime! After watching the anime, I knew that I had to cosplay Rei...
5 comments
Continue Reading »

Return to work wardrobe in ITY – which is your favorite?

By
In June of this year, after spending nearly 11 years at my place of employment and after restructuring and cost cutting, I took a separation package. I was so fortunate to be able to take a few months off, and also to very quickly find a position with a new company. I start my new job on September 14th and I’m super excited!  This new position is also different for me in that it is local to my area (whereas before I worked remotely and traveled to the office every few weeks) – so I’ll be going into the office three times a week. So of course I needed to sew up some new outfits! I’m a huge fan of ITY knit fabric ; ITY stands for interlock twist yarn, which describes the way the yarn is knitted together. I love it for tops, dresses, skirts, and even pants: it’s comfortable, easy care, low wrinkle, and comes in so many beautiful prints. I sewed up three new outfits over the last two weeks and I’m excited to share them with you today! Oh, and also – I need help choosing what to wear fi...
18 comments
Continue Reading »

Double Back

By
Have you ever used a fabric that you loved so much you had to buy more and make it again.  I can only think of a handful of times that I’ve done that as I am very much a use it all for one project type of person.  However after I first used this snakeskin print stretch twill I knew I needed more of it. It started off when I decided to make this dress for my upcoming high school reunion. I loved the fabric even more in person. When I was playing around with the dress I envisioned making pants with it as well in the future.  I was able to order some matching thread and zippers to complete my dress look. Then I ordered 5 more yards to give myself a second look.  I love to use Pinterest to help me gather my ideas. In the end I came up with this lace up detailed look.  I wanted a slightly rockstar inspired look but still something I could keep in rotation in my wardrobe.  I sketched my idea out and sourced the patterns that I wanted to use.  I used Viki Se...
3 comments
Continue Reading »

Foray into Shirtmaking

By
I love playing with volume and texture! I've always loved well-made shirts: the soft yet crisp fabric, the structure and tailored fit. I love the deceptive simplicity that tries to conceal the precision and details that go into their construction…everything about well-made shirts is fascinating. And despite my interest, I somehow never really owned one. Let’s change that! I took my time with the finishing touches. I decided to bury my nose in a couple of David Page Coffin books on shirtmaking and became even more determined to try my hand at sewing one for myself. Everything I read about shirtmaking emphasized the need for really good fabric, so this 100% cotton shirting was a no-brainer (SKU: DMC 5116). I mean, look at those stripes! It's incredibly soft and light, with lots of body and a voluminous drape. It holds its shape remarkably well, and it was a delight to press. For my first go, I wanted a forgiving pattern that could hide any potential mistakes behind gathers and v...
8 comments
Continue Reading »